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Reviews
The Lodge (2019)
Intended Horror Differentiated from Horror
This movie hands down did nothing but irritate me from the moment we watch Grace in the cult video on Richard's computer. Movies that throw common sense to the wayside always put me on the side of caution when watching as most oftentimes the movie will flop.
Horror unless intentionally made to be just that horror (ie slasher films, Chucky, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc) almost always stems from, at a minimum, a bit of truth or believed to be true, factual event or occurence. This movie threw common sense to the dump and pressed on.
LACK OF COMMON SENSE: The catholic religion undertones V/S Grace's former cult based on common Christinatity beliefs are very different (i.e. Catholics confess to priests; Christians pray on their own behalf to/thru Jesus to confess). These kids and their gaslighting actions were done way to well for a teen with just the kid sister to help. No self respecting fathered leaves his kids in a remote location alone with an individual who has such a deeply disturbing mental health background. Especially a father whose kids just lost their mother and is supposed to be a competent psychiatrist. I don't think it's specifically spells it out for us in the film about the exact circumstances behind Richard and Grace's relationship. We know the father wrote a book about Grace, but was he her psychiatrist? If he was, that's even more damning as it's unethical for a psychiatrist to sleep with their patients. End of my rant.
I could go on but there's no point. This movie was a let down with very little merit to stand on. I gave it 3 Stars as it had potential but maybe in a different set of hands to make it. Maybe not at all. The viewing public will ultimately decide the final rating for us all in the end.
Guncrazy (1992)
Barrymore Shines Everytime, Movie Forgettable & Director Major Foul
When I ran across this movie on Tubi of all places I was thinking along the lines of Mad Love, another Barrymore movie. I was definitely mistaken on that assumption. I adore Barrymore in anything she does. With her quirky attitude and genuine anything is possible outlook what's not to like.
With Anita, the whole white trash, mom gone so boyfriend abuses circumstances automatically making her the town slut didn't sit well. One does not naturally equate to the other. Howard was very forgettable as soon as he stepped off the bus. Perfect example, when trying to find money for food, Anita and Howard notice their car is about to be towed. After failing to get the tow driver to realase the car, he pulls out a gun and mumbles something blah blah I'll blow you away. The delivery was such that a viewer may laugh or posdibly feel sympathy for the other cast members and director.
This movie is easy to pass up as you wouldn't be missing much. But it's also perfect for background noise on any kind of lazy day. The fact that you don't have to actively watch the movie to figure out what's happened should you decide to is ridiculous. That fact is also a true testament of a crappy script that should have stayed in a drawer. The director, Tamara Davis, stated in an interview that her direction did not include the desire to romanticize the gun. She stated, "I wanted to show that America is obsessed with guns, and that if you have them around, bad things can happen because it only takes a second to pull the trigger. Well, Im sorry for Director Davis as this film was an ultimate failure in capturing and meeting that goal. It would be like the director of Natural Born Killers insisting the desire to not romanticize psycho behaviors or murder spree killing.
When making a movie about guns, shooting people and lots of killing you have to own both sides of the possible outcome or fallout after public viewing. The director's failure to do so left me with a different type of dislike for this movie overall. Definitely something other than just a viewer's opinion of dislike for an overly bad movie.
Meth Head (2013)
Fell Flat with Unrealistic Happenings and More
I read an indepth article regarding the Woeld Premire of Meth Head in Washington DC long before ever viewing the film. Needless to say it did not prepare me for the in your face moments this film would bring to your living room or whatever viewing area may be.
While I greatly appreciated the statement the film made or intended to make I'm afraid it may have missed the mark with many in the audience. I consider myself a very open person. Most notably I don't shy away from nudity, sex, drug use or whatever taboo idea one can come up with when it comes to film or print. But even with all of that that I still found a couple of scenes in this film to be over the top and to hold no benefit in getting the message heard by its audience. If anything, I would dare say it may have done the exact opposite to the point of the film stopped and never viewed in its entirety. I hope I'm wrong but the few people I've spoken to about the film lead me to believe I'm very right.
I also found several moments in the film to be unrealistic and entirely unbelievable. The living arrangement, elderly abuse, the how and where of self prostution, the lack of taking or stealing when money can't be found, sentimental items being held onto when in full withdrawl, the comical tough guy and the pimp son are just a few I can recall without completely scrutinizing the entire film. An addict is not going to hold on to a quick pawn or easy sell valuable item because of its sentimental value when in full withdrawl, not going to happen. I know of a time an addict pulled a ring off her dead grandma's finger at the Funeral Home hoping no would would notice. Gueas what? They did!
This movie started strong but ultimately the little things and the in your face actions that held no value to the message killed it before it ever got off the ground.
Paranoid (2016)
Bobby Day Carries Show While Woman Det. Set Back 25 Years
Overall I enjoyed the show. I like plots like this where a little bit of the supernatural element (Det. Day's paranoia "spidy" senses) intermingles with a steady mystery/thriller story line. No matter how I put this its going to sound snotty but I have nothing but love for my British Ancestors across the pond. Here goes, American police/detective dramas that flourish have a common element, which is, attention to detail in mirroring real life police procedures. It gives a show a certain credibility that makes the audience think it could happen in real life.
In the first episode Bobby gets a box with a photo. No gloves are put on, no review of CCTV footage is conducted to see who dropped off package, no fingerprinting of box or photo is done and no research is conducted as to where the photo originated...just to name a few. Repeat with the second photo and a DVD later sent to Bobby. I wanted to chuck the TV out the window for a moment. Just a lot of "common sense" step by step investigative work seemed to be completely left out. So, I quit thinking of it as a police drama and thought of it as a murder mystery to stop my screaming critic of a brain.
Im not a feminist, I don't picket for more women's stuff, you get idea...but the writers of this drama took about 25 years off the advancement of women in the workforce. The lead detective is a woman full of ambition and critical thinking half the time. The other half she's a stereotypical angry poor me woman and it really was quite pathetic. Examples, whining, "I want to have children", her obsession and on going BS about break up, complaining how she never had fun in her youth, making an ass of herself by yelling personal issues across squad room, her constant teary eyed blubbering, hitting on then shaming her younger subordinate...Ill stop there, but there is so much more.
The actor who played the main older male detective of this trio, Det. Bobby Day (cant think of actor's real name) is the steady support that shouldered and carried this drama. He is real, genuine, believeable, empathetic and could walk out of the screen and right into a job with London's finest detectives. Worth watching but can see why it didn't last longer.
Oh, and the constant orange faced makeup (yes, my color settings work fine) that the beautiful, but whiny, Det. Lydia sported most episodes had me thinking of Ernie from Sesame Street. Ernie is not a good face for a detective TV, especially a female detective.
Inside (2016)
Never Saw Original Wish I Hadn't Seen This Remake
I had no idea this movie was a remake. I've never seen the original and having wasted an hour and a half of my life on this I wish I hadn't see this one either.
I'm all for a good remake don't get me wrong. I can even deal with poor acting, poor timing and dumb effects sometimes if the plot is really good. I can even deal with some ideas portrayed in a horror film that are so far fetched that it seems a little comical at times. This movie is so far out in left field not even a master director such as "M. Night" Shyamalan could have saved this film. He is the king of what the hell did I just watch but in a good way.
In the first 20 minutes we watch a story unfold where pregnant woman and husband in car wreck, husband dies, woman anxious about parenting alone and then....
We spend the next hour and 15 minutes watching a crazy woman try to gain access to a woman in labored induced by crazy lady via drugs and a whole lot of dumb people die. The end! I'd rather watch Teletubbie reruns then this movie and those things creep me the "f" out.
The Outsider (2019)
A Disgrace to The Genre of Western
The only good thing about this movie was getting to watch Jon Foo. Even still I'm sadden and confused why he would lend his talents to this movie. Wishful Thinking maybe on Foo's part. This movie is a disgrace to the Movie Genre of Western.
NOS4A2 (2019)
Joe Hill Made A Name of His Own
Joe Hill is amazing writer! N0S4A2 is som3new, different and exciting. I also Read Heart Shaped Box which is another book by Joe Hill that I really enjoyed. I won't go into details so I don't Spoil anything for anyone who hasn't.
Vic is a strong creative who can take thoughts from her mind and bring them into the physical world. Her greatest creation is a Bride which takes her anywhere she needs to go when trying to find something. Her nemesis is another strong creative who has lived for a very ling time. He kidnaps children who have crappy/abusive parents or parents he deems unfit. He then promises the kids he takes that he will take them to a place called Christmas land.
I'm going to stop there as to not spoil anything for someone who hasn't read nook. All I can say is that this book is one of a kind! Just like Joe Hill's father, Stephen King, Joe has an immigration that knows no boundaries. This book will take you on a wild ride of the Supernatural, a girls desire to be accepted for who she is and not where she is from, the quest to stop a mad man, another Strong Creative, who has kidnapped hundreds of children over a period of decades and try to put a end to the place called Christmas Land. Christmas Land is where the mad men promises to take these kidnapped kids to. He spins tales how everyday is Christmas with endless games, fun and magic. Its up to Victoria aka Vic McQueen to put a stop the mad man who many call The Wraith until they learn his name.
Vic is an amazing character to watch grow into the woman she must be to take down the Wraith and put an end to the nightmares he invokes upon the children of the world.
The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)
My "Ah Ha" Moment from Fundamentals of Caring
I read a lot of reviews about this movie written by some professional critics, some wannabe professional critics and some everyday people like myself. There were some big words used to describe simple things that I had to look up in the dictionary to figure out what the hell the reviewer was going on about. I read catch phrases such as "a coming of age movie" and "road trip cliches". None of that matters because this movie is not the kind you smack a label on, acronym to death or dismiss because you don't like Selena Gomez's comedic timing.
This movie...this story... is several stories within one big story that anyone from any walk of life can find a piece of themselves in. Divorce, death of child, disabilities, low self esteem, lack of self worth, abuse, neglect, shame, absentee father, loss of parent, trying to find oneself, overcoming obstacles in life, stereotypes, war, soliders, forgiveness and on and on.
You don't watch this kind of movie because Paul Rudd has great drama/comedy talent. You watch, listen, learn and takeaway from the story... your story, a friend's story, a stranger's story, anyone and everyone's story. Then when you least expect it you have your "ah ha" moment. For me...my "ah ha" moment? It's ok to be stuck for a moment like Ben, afraid of change and to leave my comfort zone like Trevor, determined to get to my Denver like Dot, to boast about my solider like Peaches and shake in my boots like Elsa at the thought of my "baby" going out into the world to experience life without me. For my daughter...just because your absentee father wasn't there for you in life it doesn't mean you didn't deserve better...hes the butthole...your still worth your weight in Gold and deserving of the love and support you received from your adoptive father.
Give it an hour and a half, find your "ah ha" moment and share it with someone else. They'll be glad you did and you'll be better the person for it.
Ticket Out (2012)
I've Seen Worse Movies but this kid...
It's not the worst movie I've ever seen. The whole concept of an "Underground Railroad" for abused women and children who the Laws of the Land have let down is unfortunately a believable and actual thing. This movie is a poor example of how that railroad works in comparison to others that I've seen. It does inform the audience that such a thing does exisit and that are real people who help the abused everyday at at huge personal sacrifice/risk. The one thing in this movie that wracked my nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard is the little girl Mary Sue. I don't know the child actor's name but I hope I never see another movie with her in it.